Yes, Dear
by Meredith Trainor
Summary: After six months of marriage, Aang has learned a valuable lesson about the importance of two little words.  Suprisingly, Toph is also learning to use those words on her husband, with startling results. Taang, Zutara implied, rated Kplus for language.


**Yes, Dear**

Author's Note: Not sure exactly where this is going, but I had to try for a married-life Taang fic by request. If it's terrible, let me know

Summary: After six months of marriage, Aang has learned a valuable lesson about the importance of two little words. Suprisingly, Toph is also learning to use those words on her husband, with startling results.

"Aang!"

"What is it?"

"Could you run to the shop? We're out of milk."

"Yes, dear."

"Aang!"

"What is it?"

"Could you read me something? Sokka screwed up and sent me an email again."

"Yes, dear."

"Aang!"

"What is it?"

"Could you rub my back? I hurt it babysitting Zuko Junior and Tara today."

"Yes, dear."

Of all the things she asked of him, Aang never once said no. How could he? Toph was the apple of his eye, the light to his day… He'd be lost without her.

Then one day, she said something that rocked his world.

Aang blinked once, twice, three times, and stared at his wife. With her hand on her slender hip, Toph looked like a teenager again. But she sounded, well, submissive! It was so shocking that the Avatar nearly fell out of his chair.

"What did you say?" he almost whispered, as if afraid to break a magic spell.

"I said, 'Yes, dear."' Toph repeated, and raised an eyebrow at her husband. "What's the matter with you?"

"Isn't that my line?" Aang asked seriously. "You never agree to anything I ask!"

"Well, Twinkletoes, I guess there's a first time for everything," she said with a flash in her eyes. Aang backed down.

"So you'll seriously do it?"

"Of course. Like I said, appearances don't matter much to me. It comes with the territory when you're blind."

"You aren't afraid it'll hurt?"

"Not at all. And you know I'd do anything for you."

"_Wow_." Aang's eyes grew wide as saucers. "So, when are you planning on—"

"Tonight, if they're still open."

"I'll call ahead." A few minutes later, he returned to their bedroom. "They're still open. Are you absolutely sure you don't mind doing this?"

"I'm not afraid. I just wish you'd asked me sooner. I had no idea it was so important to you."

A few minutes later, Toph sat in a comfortable chair, her bare arms exposed in the light, as a man named Yiazu traced her skin with a blue marker.

"You sure about this?" he asked her, but with one look at Toph's face, he backed down. "Okay, Missy, this'll probably hurt."

"Oh, I plan on having kids one day. This is just a fraction of what's to come," she said with a laugh.

But in about ten minutes, the laughter was long gone.

"HOW THE F**K DO ALL YOUR PEOPLE GET THESE? THIS HURTS LIKE HELL! THEY MAKE LITTLE KIDS GO THROUGH THIS! AIRBENDERS ARE SICKOS, AANG, REAL SICKOS! OH, SPIRITS, THAT HURTS LIKE A MOTHER—" Aang cringed; he had no idea Toph even knew those words. She certainly had never sworn in front of him before. Yiazu worked quickly, ignoring her screams, and within the half-hour her arms were done.

"Now," he said as he pinned back her lovely black hair, "Are you sure about—" Another look from her, and Yiazu suppressed a shriek. "I tell you what, Mister, I don't pity you when she goes into labor." Aang winced; it offended his monk mentality to have his wife talked about like that. Toph took a deep breath and gestured for Yiazu to hurry up and get it over with. The tattoo artist raised his needle to her forehead.

"HOLY F**K THAT HURTS EVEN MORE! AANG, YOUR PEOPLE ARE F**KING SADISTS! SHOW ME WHO CAME UP WITH THIS TRADITION AND I'LL SHOW YOU A DEAD MAN!" She went on and on. Aang didn't have the heart (or the courage) to tell her that the Airbenders got them as young children so that they didn't remember the pain.

"Almost done, little lady, this one won't take as long," Yiazu said about five minutes into the forehead art.

"THANK THE GODS! I'M ABOUT TO MURDER SOMEBODY!" Aang and Yiazu didn't doubt it. But luckily, the next minute, the tattoo artist was raising the back of Toph's chair and rotating it so she could see herself in the—ooh, didn't think that one through.

"Well, maybe your man can tell you how it looks," the artist shrugged and turned her to face Aang.

"Toph, darling, you look so gorgeous! Not that you didn't before, but—" He was silenced by a single finger from his wife.

"Save it, Twinkletoes! I am SO not in the mood to talk about _appearances_!" Aang sighed.

"Yes, dear."


End file.
